The Prince of Hearts
by xXmidnightmuseXx
Summary: Cardverse AU. The end of the Pax Tarota is soon at hand, and the Kingdom of Hearts finds itself still with an unclaimed throne. With the heir unknown, and political sway shifting dangerously in the four monarchies towards war, the fate of two kingdoms falls to the shoulders of the young Jack of Hearts. But will his naïve heart allow him to do what his kingdom needs? GerxIta RuxIta
1. The Monarch

**Chapter One:**

When the old king died, all four kingdoms dressed in black. Monarchs of the passing regime arrived to mourn the passing, veiled in silk and gauze, with the few discovered heirs trailing at their heels. In this time of the Pax Tarota, the death of one was felt more as the loss of a brother than that of a political ally, and everyone felt the white hot knife of grief slip between their ribs.

"Come little Feliciano," the old Jack said. His grandson looked to him, amber eyes wide and innocent in youth. His small fingers clutched tightly to the regal man's weathered hand. "Let us go support the good Queen." The mentioned woman stood several feet away, her stern chin held high as raven hair cascaded in braids down her back, woven with red silk. Her heir stood beside her, a solemn boy with his head and eyes downcast. "Little regina should not stand alone today."

Unable to comprehend the sweep of emotion gripping painfully at the hearts of the ancient generation, Feliciano's gaze wandered while his grandfather led him along by the hand. To the boy of only four winters, the mourning monarchs looked like gods standing among men. They were like Romulus, the strong Jack of Hearts of their generation, yet at the same time they existed on a completely different plain than the Jack. They were pale and graceful in their mourning costumes; the porcelain dolls among the plebeians.

Each group had a swatch of their kingdom's color blended into their attire. The monarchs of Clubs all possessed a subtle green, while Diamonds was a muted tone of their eccentric yellow, and even the Spades rulers had ribbons of dark blue woven into their gowns and suits. Feliciano reached up, gently touching his bright red cravat.

Yet while he regarded the current rulers with awe and admiration, Feliciano found himself shrinking away from their heirs. They were the children already discovered by the Clock and Crown, standing beside their ancient counterparts and representing the next ruling class that would begin when they came of age. These early discovered children were the direct descendents of their future position in one way or another; the Queen of Spades, the King of Clubs, and the King of Diamonds.

The sharp looked directed at Feliciano from the Spade's future queen sent the young Jack-to-be scrambling behind his grandfather's legs.

"Regina." Romulus greeted the queen with a gentle nod. He stood beside her, turning his gaze back to the crowd. She looked to her advisor while gentle fingers reached down to fondly brush Feliciano's bangs away from his face. The young boy instantly reached up to wrap his hand around her fingers, now standing linked between the two remaining monarchs.

"Romulus." At Queen Ainu's side, Kiku nodded politely to Feliciano. The future Jack tilted his head in confusion at the other boy's properness. "We must find the King's heir; I cannot handle a power-vacuum at this time, and the Pax will not allow for a dual-run kingdom without an heir in line. We need three."

"I understand, regina." Feliciano's hands fell from the monarch's, and he moved to attach himself to Kiku with a soft _ve_, despite the other's apparent discomfort at the contact. "Let us lay old Alaric to rest before we dust off our heirlooms and begin the hunt." The jack-apparent giggled when Kiku caved to his childish adoration and hesitantly rubbed his friend's back. "Isn't it such a strange thing that even dangers can exist in the Pax Tarota? It seems that even this peaceful era has its fair share of vipers."

Returning her hand to Feliciano's hair, Ainu stared long and hard at the Jack of her crown's suit. "Be careful with your accusations, my Jack, for even the snake's nest has its ears." Turning her attention to the children beside her, she strained to smile. "Come children; let us pay our final respects to our monarch."

Abandoning Kiku in favor of the Queen's slender hand, Feliciano was led up to the obsidian slate tomb that waited patiently to engulf the departed king. He frowned, straining to see Alaric while standing on his toes.

The king appeared to only be sleeping, and it confused and frightened the young Jack-apparent to think Alaric might wake up all alone in the dark catacomb of the Chamber of Kings.

Alaric's arms were folded nearly over his chest, his fingers wrapped around the pommel of a silver broad sword resting on top of his bright red regal attire. The lost king of Hearts looked as peaceful to Feliciano as he did when alive, as if they were once again in the castle's grand library exploring the wealth of Hearts' art and not the  
frightening scenery of a burial ground.

"Nonno," he whispered, tugging on his grandfather's coat hem. "Nonno, shouldn't we wake him up? He's going to be really angry with you if you let him sleep through everything."

Crouching down, the old Jack picked Feliciano up and balanced the lithe child on his hip. "No, my little Feli, I'm afraid Alaric wouldn't wake up even if I tried."

Feliciano instantly curled up to Romulus' shoulder. His hand fisted into the darkly dyed suit, and he hid his mouth behind it. "…like Roma?"

The child heaved a sigh when his grandfather nodded.

Queen Ainu stepped forward, resting a white lily beside Alaric before she leaned over to place a farewell kiss to the man's frigid temple. "Peace to you, my King, and to your subjects strength so that we may make it through these trialing times." She encouraged Kiku forward with a subtle wave of her hand. The boy stepped forward, bowing deeply to the deceased before retreating with Ainu's hand on his shoulder.

Romulus came forth next. He reached out with a weathered hand and placed it on Alaric's folded ones. "Peace to you, my King, and to your subjects guidance." Bowing his head low, the old Jack sighed so brokenly that his grandson looked at him in concern.

When Feliciano's time came, he leaned close to Alaric and gently touched the late king's arm. "Good bye, Re. Please have good dreams." He snuggled back against his grandfather when Romulus pulled him back before taking him back to the sidelines to stand with the remaining Hearts regality.

Out of the shadows stepped the Jokers to complete the ceremony and aid the old King's spirit in crossing the worlds. The hooded figures drew Feliciano's eyes to them, and he hoped to see a familiar face beneath them. However, as they encircled the slab, neither looked familiar to Feliciano, and he slumped in disappointment. Part of him had desired to see the King's eldest son among the Jokers, but it appeared the silver-haired man was not coming.

The Jokers raised their hands, holding their hands out, palms down, above Alaric before they began to sway and chant in their mystic tongue; a language so coarse with raw magic it dragged chills down the various queens' spines. The King of Spades covered the ears of the future queen, hoping to spare him from hearing the funeral dirge.

The hymn ending, and the Jokers fading back into the shadows of the graveyard, the remaining regality bowed their heads low and moved to aid in laying the king to his final resting place. Feliciano remained with Kiku when the remaining rulers of Hearts were called away to confine their departed king to the tomb.

Left behind, Feliciano clutched to Kiku's sleeve as he looked to the remaining children. He shook all the way down to his boots when Spade's future queen looked at him once again with those sharp eyes before scoffing and walking away. "How frightening… I hope he turns out to be a nice queen…"

Kiku nodded. He attempted to free himself of the other's death grip, yet Feliciano held fast regardless. "The Pax Tarota has lasted through two generations so far, Jack-apparent Vargas-kun. I am sure it will last long after us as well."

The boys looked up when a shadow over took them, and Feliciano shot behind Kiku with a peep at the sudden appearance of the future king of Clubs before them.

The taller boy bowed to the pair, a green ribbon falling from the brim of his hat to hang in front of his face. "Sister says I am to learn the faces of our fellow kingdoms. I am sorry it is under such conditions that we meet."

"Such conditions indeed, King-apparent Ivan-san." Kiku returned the bow, exposing the quaking heir behind him. Feliciano froze, staring at Ivan in mute terror until Kiku stood up and provided the small child with a shield again. "I hope that we will be able to maintain our kingdoms' peace when it is our time."

"So formal," Ivan chuckled, his innocent gaze shifting into one of curiosity that made Feliciano shiver all the more. However, the return of the current monarchy distracted Ivan for a moment, and he turned to see his sister, the current King of Clubs, holding her hand out to him, beckoning. Turning back to the pair, innocent smile back in place, Ivan bowed low again. "Until we meet again, heirs of Hearts."

Feliciano still had a slight tremor when Romulus returned and plucked him from the ground. Queen Ainu also reappeared, and with Kiku standing between her and her Jack, the group walked away from the cemetery with what many would believe to be the heaviest of hearts, for several weeks after the late king's passing, the Jack followed him; town gossips for generations would say it was from a broken heart.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey everyone, new story time! I found myself growing quite addicted to the idea of the cardverse au, so I decided to attempt my hand at it. Please tell me what you think, and I hope you enjoy! Also this story will have a weak cross-over effect with the story "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" story because well...I love that story, and I'm also debating on branching into the fairy tale cross-over ideas I had for a few Hetlia pairings. Again, I hope you like it, enjoy!_

_Characters non-canon:_

_Romulus: Ancient Rome (just in case, there's a lot of names for this guy I discovered...)_

_Ainu: Ancient Japan (well not ancient, but a representation of the indigenous people of Japan)_

_Alaric: Germania_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Hetalia or "East of the Sun West of the Moon." _


	2. The Jacks

**Chapter Two:**

"Jack Vargas? Jack Vargas!"

Feliciano jerked at the callous tone snapping at his person. Whipping around, he was confronted with the three stern faces of his fellow jacks, resulting in the Jack of Hearts quickly shrinking back into the plush of his chair.

Sighing harshly, Jack Edelstein returned his china cup to its saucer, all the while wearing a deep-set scowl. "Since you were lost once again to your own little world, Jack Vargas, allow me to bring you back up to speed." The sour-faced Jack tightly crossed his arms. "We were just discussing about our States and were interested in your input. Jack Zwingli here would appreciate to understand your nation's position in regards to his own, and I myself and quite interested to see where you stand with Clubs."

"As am I." To the left of Roderich sat the Jack of Spades, who also stared at Feliciano impatiently.

"I um…well…" Squirming under the stares of his fellow Jacks, Feliciano looked down to his fidgeting hands. "The Queen has told me to make sure Hearts remains neutral in any conflict between our neighbors." He flinched at the low, displeased hum from Yao.

"A wise decision from his Majesty. Despite your nation's military numbers, it would be unwise to let a nation missing its King to step into a war; regardless of the greedy eyes of certain peoples."

The chinaware rattled as hands slammed into the table and Roderich sprung to his feet. "Don't you dare go there, Jack Wang! Keep your inferiorities out of your judgment when you attempt to label Clubs. As it is your buffoon of a King has brought it upon his annoying self to try and check every move my nation tries to make for improvement!"

"Improvement_?!_ Your nation is nothing more than a power hungry fiend! _As it is_, Jack Edelstein, we are all aware of Clubs eyeing Diamonds' thrones in their vulnerable condition!" Yao bowed his head to the silent blonde at his left. "No offence, Jack Zwingli. But with your nation facing a civil war as it is…"

"You insufferable…!" Roderich growled back.

Sighing, Vash attempted to rub away the tension forming behind his eyes before it could multiply into a blinding migraine. Yet, as the two other jacks spat at each other, wielding insults like knifes in the hopes of inflicting some mortal wound, the Jack of Diamonds found the forming migraine all the more difficult to dispel. A slender hand came to rest lightly on Vash's knee, causing him to peer over his fingers and catch the sight of Feliciano smiling nervously at him.

"It's ok, Vash. If your people need any place to run to, they're always welcomed in Hearts. We might be small, but we can always provide for people in need." The young Jack grinned, and it spread to Vash in the form of a gentle curve in his lips.

Suddenly, Feliciano found himself being yanked to his feet, a hand wrapped tightly in his collar. Beside him, Vash too shot up, his eyes narrow and dangerous. Scoffing in response, Roderich spun and began to march off with Feliciano in tow. "Come along, Vargas. This meeting obviously is going nowhere. Guards!"

Feliciano managed a weak wave before the door swung shut behind him.

"…why did you provoke him like that, Yao? You know as well as I do that they're looking towards Hearts first, not Diamonds."

"Yes, I know that!" Yao fell back into his chair. He shoved a hand into his bangs, pushing them away with an exasperated sigh. "And that fool of a Jack is naïve enough to let it happen. By God, he'll probably invite them in with open arms and personally sit the King of Clubs on the throne of Hearts before Queen Kiku can so much as blink!"

Nodding, Vash retook his seat as well. "Even I find it disgusting how that sorry excuse of a Jack abuses Vargas' innocence. Despite his lacking qualities, my sister seems to have taken quite a liking to him." Yao hummed, sipping slowly from his tea. "If only they had found an heir after King Alaric passed away, it would not have been so easy for Clubs to infiltrate Hearts as they have."

"If only," the other simply agreed.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Sorry for the long wait between updates, got a bit distracted with a crazy work load from college. Hopefully I'll be able to get more of this story posted this month, time and circumstances permitting. Till next update!_


	3. The Faux Flush

**Chapter Three:**

Over his shoulders, Feliciano could still make out the tall spires of the old castle as they peeked up over the leaves of the surrounding forest. He bit his lip, hoping that the sun would wait just a few more hours before it set and left him surrounded by dark-wooded trees. Oh how he whined, wishing he could just turn his horse back to the castle and go hide in his quarters like he usually would at the end of the monthly meetings.

"Feliciano, keep up," Roderich called from the center-point of their group. The Jack of Clubs sighed as Feliciano rushed his dappled mare, quickly arriving beside Roderich's beast of a northern-bred horse. "Don't fall behind."

"Isn't it…just a little bad for me to be riding with Clubs though?" Looking around at the green-garbed soldiers escorting the Jacks home, Feliciano frowned. "Maybe I should just head back to the castle and head home in the morning? Hearts is neutral after all, I don't think Yao or Vash are going to hurt m-"

"Don't be a fool!" Roderich's snapping voice shattered Feliciano's weakly formed plan. The polished Jack of Clubs rolled his eyes. "Of course they would, they'd do anything to get a hold of Hearts' army, especially _Spades_. Those scoundrels would take any chance they could to snatch up one of Hearts' Court. That's why its best you stay by my side until we've passed Hearts' castle gates. You'll be safe here with me and my soldiers until Queen Kiku comes to his senses and finally assigns a guard to you. Plus…his Majesty, the King of Clubs, would have my head if I let anything happen to you."

Fidgeting, Feliciano played with the horn of his saddle. Despite his frightening disposition, the King of Clubs had always shown a softer side to the young Jack of Hearts that still baffled him. "But, Hearts is neutral. If Kiku or I walked around with guards, Kiku said it would look like we're preparing for war or something." He looked back to Roderich. "Especially if I brought guards to the Jacks' monthly meeting. It's always neutral ground there. Even the Ace said I would be safe on my own."

"Of course that idiot would say that. I bet he never even considered the dangers of letting his Jack travel alone through the Wastes without an escort, let alone the dangers of Hearts being so close to a potential war zone with Diamonds. Honestly, what was Queen Kiku thinking, allowing _that_ man to become the Ace of Hearts?" Roderich scoffed. "He sleeps more than the Giants of the Wastes do."

The nobleman whipped his head to the side as Feliciano began to laugh. The young Jack quickly calmed, resigning himself instead to a bright smile.

"That's silly, Roderich! They've been sleeping for thousands of years, everyone knows that! Antonio doesn't sleep that much and he's very good at being the Ace of Hearts!"

The pair rode in silence for a while after that. Feliciano had turned his attention to the trees lining the cobbled trail they traveled on. On either side of the entourage, ancient black-wood trees leaned in, attempting to reclaim their lost territory taken from them by the Queens of Old and their magic. He thought back to the legends his grandfather used to tell him and his brother when Queen Ainu would leave for her annual inspection of Hearts' paths through the Wastes. He remembered the stories which told of the beginning of the Pax Tarota, when each Court of the four nations came together with a promise and compromise to the Jokers that lived in the Wastes. In an attempt to further peaceful relationships between the nations, paths had been carved through the wild forests and bad lands to the ancient castle in the center to provide a place for diplomacy, all in the exchange of a promise to the Jokers that no one would ever stray from the paths and into the Woods.

Every child understood the consequence of entering the wild woods of the Wastes. Mothers and grandmothers alike spun enough danger into their bedtime stories, telling of massive beasts and lumbering Giants waiting to gobble children that no child dared to. Everyone gave wide berth to the dark world, and even young men hoping to look brave in front of their sweethearts rarely came within three feet of the forest without quaking in their boots.

Feliciano nuzzled weakly into the collar of his coat, suddenly turning his eyes away from the shadows that shifted in-between the trees. He would have laughed if he was a braver person and not found his situation terrifying. Instead, he thought of the only person he knew of brave enough to enter the woods and laugh in its face.

"How's the Queen?"

Roderich almost stopped his stallion at Feliciano's sudden question. He turned to regard the young Jack quizzically. "She is…fine? Why do you ask?"

Feliciano shrugged. "I was just thinking what it would be like if Elizaveta was here."

"She's been busy with the other Queens. And God no, don't wish her here. We would be chasing her all over the woods, you know that." Roderich's flushed ears betrayed his stern voice. "That mad woman, it's a wonder she became Queen of Clubs."

"Ve, but she's so brave! You know what she told me?" Grinning, Feliciano leaned over his saddle, eyes wide to match his smile. "She said she used to go into the Wastes for days on end when she was younger! She was braver than all the boys in Clubs, and once she said she even found a giant graveyard! Queen Elizaveta is so cool…"

"You know she makes most of those stories up, Feliciano." The jack of Clubs smiled softly however.

His fellow Jack remained lost in the splendor of his memories of the Queen of the North. "Did you know? I think she loved a Joker once," Feliciano said with a dreamy smile, ignorant to the sudden sharp fall of Roderich's face. "Che romantic, just like a star-crossed couple in a fairy tale!"

"Fairy tales aren't real, Vargas." Roderich spat before urging his stallion into a gallop.

"Ve?" Feliciano weakly pulled his reigns, the mare slowing beneath him. "Did I…say something wrong?" He turned to look at a guard beside him. The other simply shrugged before turning away to order some of the remaining soldiers off after their Jack.

Sighing, Feliciano leaned to the side to look down at his mare. "You think it's romantic, right?" He smiled when the dappled horse shook her mane with a soft snort, a sign the Jack took as a definite yes. Patting her neck, he leaned back to look down the path, figuring the group had traveled far enough to be able to see at least the boarder flags of Hearts over the canopy.

Yet at the absence of whipping red and black flags, and the sky growing darker, Feliciano began to fidget. He fetched his watch, popping it open to look down at the sleek hands arching across the inlaid heart, reading a time that was late into the evening. Snapping it shut, he brushed his thumb against the Jack's oath carved in the back of the gold metal before turning to a guard.

"Uhm…mi scusi, but... Shouldn't we be near Hearts' boarders by now?" He flinched at the soldier's hard stare. "I-I don't want to seem ungreatful f-for your escort, signore, but… It is quite late out, and I thought we were making good pace."

"We are."

Blinking at the short answer, Feliciano frowned when the other turned away and fell back behind him. A soldier rode up on his other side, far too close for the young Jack for his comfort. Yet, when he excused himself, attempting to steer his mare to the other side, Feliciano found that yet another guard had come to his side, equally as close as the first. Glancing behind, he saw the guard from before blocking his horse from stopping.

"I-I'm sorry, are we…is there something wrong?" He looked to the Wastes, worried the guards had caught sight of something trailing them. Images of massive wolves with dripping fangs made his quake in his saddle. "Sh-shouldn't we…run then? I'm sure Hearts isn't that far away, and I've never heard of any monsters actually leaving the Wastes, so…"

Looking forward again, the Jack's eyes widened when he saw soldiers beginning to form a similar position around Roderich. As a soldier reached back to pull a knife from its holster on his back, Feliciano attempted to cry out to Roderich, to warn him of the potential dangers in the woods and that he should come back near Feliciano.

Instead, the guard to his right leaned over and clamped a hand over the Jack's mouth, hard. Feliciano caught sight of thick rope unwinding from the soldier's saddle to his left and he panicked, squirming about and accidentally kicking his mare. The frightened beast reared back, throwing both her rider and the assaulting guard to the ground before she took off in a panic, racing past Roderich and into the woods.

Whimpering, Feliciano slowly sat up, rubbing his sore head where it had connected to the cobbles. Looking to the side, he saw the guard in a similar position, struggling to his feet after the abrupt fall.

"Feliciano! Are you alright?!"

Roderich's call came too late, as Feliciano's eyes widened and he froze. There, just beneath the Club Green of the soldier's uniform, Spade Blue appeared.

"Roderich!" The guard finally found his feet, his fellow guards circling Feliciano with their mounts. When the man saw Feliciano's paling face, he looked down at himself and cursed the gash across his uniform that gave him away.

"Roderich, they're no-!" Feliciano lurched forward, back into the cobbles suddenly seeing stars. An explosive pain in his head made his vision swim, and noises seemed to be filtered through water. Dizzy and ready to be sick, Feliciano found himself suddenly pulled back, his wrists painfully twisted behind him and bound in a scratching rope. Just as the world began to sway and tunnel-out, he saw Roderich take flight down the path, three or so of the guards on his heels. His head sank forward in defeat, the world a grey buzz about him, and unable to withstand any longer, Feliciano fell into the weightless darkness.


End file.
